Team USA's goalie Jack Campbell lets in a goal scored by Canada's Jordan Eberle during the third period of play at the 2010 IIHF U20 World Junior Hockey Championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan December 31, 2009. REUTERS/Shaun Best

By Dave Waddell

WINDSOR, Ont. — Windsor Spitfires fans might want to enjoy watching goalie Jack Campbell while they can because a ruling by the National Hockey League this week opens the distinct possibility the netminding phenom’s stay might be for only one year.

The NHL announced Wednesday that American players drafted by NHL teams before they play for their Canadian Hockey League teams can be sent to the American Hockey League, rather than back to major junior, as teenagers if they don’t make the big-league club.

“This year, I don’t think it’s a problem, but next year I have some concerns about him (Campbell) returning to the Windsor Spitfires,” Warren Rychel, general manager of the Ontario Hockey League team, said.

“I’ve had good conversations with his agent and the people in Dallas and he’ll be back here. That was part of the plan. You don’t want to rush a goaltender, especially a first-rounder.

“Next year, it could be a different story for sure.”

The clarification statement by the NHL was in response to a request by Dave Branch, the OHL commissioner and CHL president, regarding the status of Kitchener Rangers forward Jeremy Morin.

The 19-year-old New Jersey native can now be assigned to the Chicago Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford, Illinois, if the Stanley Cup champions opt to do so.

Last year, the London Knights saw defenceman John Carlson assigned to Washington’s AHL farm team rather than returned to the OHL.

Knights defenceman Jarred Tinordi also falls under this ruling, meaning the Montreal Canadiens could assign him to Hamilton of the AHL.

The Spits will at least be spared that worry this season.

Dallas general manager Joe Nieuwendyk confirmed the Stars’ intention to send Campbell back to Windsor in an interview with NHL.com this week at the Prospects Tournament hosted by the Detroit Red Wings in Traverse City, Michigan.

“I think (Campbell) is in a good place in Windsor,” Nieuwendyk said. “That’s where he’ll be. We don’t want to move him along too quickly.

“He’s on the right track and he’s an impressive kid. We are now pretty deep on the goaltending position.

“We have a stable of goaltending where we don’t have to rush Jack by any means.”

Rychel feels the CHL should be proactive on this issue now that the NHL has clarified its position on Americans drafted out U.S. junior leagues, otherwise, he said CHL teams risk losing more elite-level American talent.

In the view of the NHL, the agreement with the CHL to send drafted juniors back to their CHL clubs will apply only to Canadians.

“I’d like to see Morin back in our league for the good of our league,” Rychel said. “I’m sure Kitchener wants to challenge that, and I think Dave (Branch) should get behind it. Talk to all the representatives to get the ability for us to keep our players.”

With the NHL looking to discuss renewing their agreement with the CHL soon, this could be just the first shot in a discussion that centres on business as much as it does on player development.

The NHL already gives the CHL about $8-million a year, and some clubs may desire more control over their drafts picks within their own minor-league organizations.

There appears to be a diversity of opinion on the subject at the NHL level, based on the Spitfires’ experiences last year when NHL clubs (Florida, Toronto) sent Scott Timmins and Dale Mitchell back to Windsor for more seasoning when they were eligible to play in the AHL.

“If the kid’s good enough, you don’t want to hold them back but I feel the pain for the Kitchener Rangers, who’ll have a pretty good club this year and could possibly challenge (for the OHL title),” Rychel said.

“Ultimately, it comes down to the NHL club making a decision whether the kid is ready or not to play in the American League. In (Morin’s) case, he may or may not be.

“It’s a tough blow to junior.”

Rychel said the ruling won’t change his pursuit of top-flight American talent. However, it does put the pressure on to alter the timetable for getting them to Windsor.

“It could be Jack Campbell,” Rychel said. “It could’ve been other players in the past.

“Cam Fowler fortunately had a late birthday or he’d been drafted out of the (U.S. national development program) too. That was beneficial to us.

“That’s why you want to get them in here young and they don’t have an option to leave.”